D.C.'s passionate pop star — Soft Punch, aka Rye Thomas; photographed by Micah E. Wood.

Constructs of memories, reminiscences met with the pressing immediacy and matters of the present are always at odds. The pangs and obsessions with nostalgia are more than just some cottage industry but are a major aspect of escapist fascinations, the cliché of clamoring on about the alleged good ol' days, decrying why this or that is not what it used to be, rants about what products and provisions used to cost (with often little consideration for adjusted inflation), any aspect pertaining to time immemorial that keeps us from contending with contemporary, current life. It is almost too easy to lean into that sense of yearning for the anachronistic safety that yesteryears can bring, a manner by which to insulate oneself from things that they are unsure about: Things that are new, scary, different, have not been vetted by whichever authorities or gatekeepers that decide what is good and what is not (think about the person you know that still rocks the same five CDs from the mid-90s kept in the driver side sun visor who side-eyes anything after 1999). The past/present paradox is something to continuously negotiate, between the need to be present in the moment versus the highlight reels that spark the proverbial warm fuzzies by which serve as a sanctuary when we feel overwhelmed or do not understand the moment at hand.

Further examining this dichotomy is Washington DC based by way of Viriginia sentimental pop phenom Soft Punch who announces the album Above Water for Bad Friend Records with a debut listen and look at the visual for the spirit moving single “Here / Now”. The latest musical outfit of Rye Thomas (Pash, Tereu Tereu), the artist emerges after battling debilitating health issues with hymns that explores the trails of the past at the present’s intersections of the roads and routes up ahead. Rye delivers a sound and style shaped by a vulnerable sincerity, built out of a strong sense of humanity and hope that feels warm, earnest, immersed in a sense of enchantment at what was and wonder at all the possibilities of the proverbial here and now.

With visuals filmed in Appalachia, Virginia and Washington, DC by Rye's partner Brendan Polmer and edited by J. Robinson — the audience is given an intimate view to Thomas’ world. We witness the artist engaged in the craft of composing songs, taking a stroll through nature, going to a doctor’s appointment to Thomas singing and enjoying the comforts of home. Soft Punch meditates on the moments we try to hold on to forever, while recognizing the importance of everything that is at work in our lives today. "Here / Now" celebrates both the power and magnitude of the moment while reflecting on the mysteries of the past that arise from deeply held memories. While the fascinations from Rye's upbringing in Appalachia are observed from traversing mystic Virginia mountains, curious corridors, contending with things beyond control and more; "Here / Now" offers opportunities for embarking upon new tiers of enlightenment, excitement and new expressions never before possible. The Soft Punch message is that while those portraits of the past still hold resonance and importance — the real relevance lies in the arrival of new eras and echelons that we are experiencing in the imperfect tense that have to be chronicled or charted in full as they play out and ask us to participate in their unwinding trajectories.

Soft Punch’s Rye Thomas provided some privy reflections on the song and visual for “Here / Now”:

Like a warm, familiar blanket, nostalgia provides comfort during hard times. I've often relied on it to escape the pain of health problems and negate the FOMO of social media. Who doesn't relish golden memories of better days? In "Here / Now” I used synth sounds and drum machine samples that reminded me of the music I grew up with. I played an acoustic guitar I inherited from my Dad, who got it when he was a kid. I even had my boyfriend, Brendan Polmer, tap out percussion on a metallic water bottle from the 9:30 Club, to remind me of the time we played a great show there with our former band, Tereu Tereu.

Citrus baths with Soft Punch; photographed by Justin T. Gellerson.

But that pleasure is not a panacea. Nostalgia distorts our perception and prevents us from engaging with the present moment. It's a nice place to visit, but living there is delusional. That tension between presence and remembrance is what fuels the song. How do you balance fond memories with being aware of the moment? How can you show up for the present, while still appreciating the past?
The video asks those questions through presenting a vulnerable portrait of myself. Filmed by Brendan and edited by my longtime friend, J. Robinson, it's full of private moments: writing lyrics, visiting a doctor's office, getting a migraine, watching Black Eyes prep for a reunion show. You see me sing on my front porch and in my backyard, here in DC, but all that's juxtaposed against dreamy footage from a trip to Shenandoah. I grew up in Virginia and I've got deep Appalachian roots in both Kentucky and West Virginia. I'm still learning how to honor my family history while being present in DC, living a life far removed from anything my ancestors could have imagined.

Soft Punch’s Above Water will be available September 15 via Bad Friend Records.

PREMIERE | Soft Punch, "Here / Now"